'1917' - Sam Mendes

1917 - a story of friendship, brotherhood, family, determination and hope.

I came out of this screening feeling quite patriotic and proud to be English. Not because I am pro-war or have a strong connection or understanding of World War I, but because I felt like I knew the boys - Schofield (George Mackay) and Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman). Perhaps this connection I felt was due to the fact that I watched this film, on my own in a cinema in Canberra having lived here for 6 months now. For me, it was comforting to see and hear the voices of so many young English men, not just performing but becoming the British soldiers of over one hundred years ago. Director Sam Mendes and writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns brilliantly displayed the youth of these boys through their dialogue and interaction with others with all these facetious remarks and comments I am used to hearing (in much different and less serious circumstances) such as, "Welcome aboard the night bus to fuck-knows-where" or even simply, "You got a fag?". This is a very small thing to pick up on but I definitely feel it had a powerful outcome as it allowed me and I'm sure many other audience members to relate on a deeper level to the characters.

The friendship between Blake and Schofield is truly more of a brotherhood. Schofield throughout the first part of their journey together is the one making sure Blake is ok, and in doing so injures himself in the process when he didn't even ask to be there. However this switches once Blake saves his life in the rubble of a German trench. Where one is, the other must be. But it is the association of this mission with Blake's determination to get to his brother that is a main factor in pushing Schofield further. His determination and desperation to deliver the General's message (with 1600 lives depending on it) is strengthened, causing him to become a leader when he was previously a follower of Blake. This is portrayed when at one point he demands all men to come together to lift a truck out of the mud so they can continue their journey. The cherry blossom petals and their connection to Blake are also a beautiful reminder as to why he must keep going.

As I was watching this film I literally wrote down 'Roger Deakins - you GOD' - and I think that says it all really. Not only did the two long shots allow for the audience to quite literally stay with the characters on this journey allowing for a deeper level of connection, but the actors too were experiencing similar conditions as WWI soldiers as they got wet and muddy and trekked up large hills and crumbling slopes. There were also so many beautiful, lingering shots I wanted to pause on to look at for longer. One that stays in my mind is a shot of Schofield as a silhouette, alone, looking out from under an archway at the remains of a building on fire. It really is incredible. I also want to mention the matching first and last shots and how meaningful this is for the story. Schofield's life changed in less than 24 hours. Not only is this a beautiful connection to the beginning of the film but we also find out the deeper meanings behind his actions - especially the decision to stay with the French woman and baby for so long. It is at this final moment as he observes the photographs in his bandaged hand that we truly understand just how much he had a stake when picked for this mission. Here we are left with a sense of sadness, appreciation and also hope for him. Even when it seems "hope is a dangerous thing".